Teacher Guided Notes: If opting to use this lesson, I strongly suggest to use the lesson entitled A Concrete Look at Long Division first. The one day lesson will give students a conceptual understanding that will allow students to see how long division works, but more importantly why long division works.

In this lesson, we will use that understanding to solve equations using several signs. Students are comfortable with the dividend being inside the “box” and the divisor being outside the box, then Dividing, Multiplying, Subtracting, and Bringing Down. The Title of this lesson, Does McDonald’s Serve Burgers is a mnemonic device used to remember the steps of the algorithm. However, students must be able to have the same comfort level with seeing the obelus, or the division symbol . Please don’t give me too many props on the name of the symbol, I totally looked it up. Students must also find comfort in knowing that the fraction bar is another symbol for division. This is where long division in the common core is relevant.

Students will transition from using the calculators to convert fractions to decimals to using long division to convert fractions to decimals. With this transition it is imperative that students have a strong knowledge with long division. Students must know that it is numerator divided by denominator. Thus, they must know which the divisor is and which the dividend is. The first lesson has a great bell ringer that will review that terminology.

I like to write out the equation as such: one divided by 2 = 1/2 = 1 2 = 2 1 I like to write this on a large poster. Once I write it on a large poster, I post it in the room, then it serves as a resource for students to use throughout the year. I also label the dividend and divisor.

Students will have a visual aid throughout the year to refer to which will help them identify the numerator as the dividend, and the denominator as the divisor.

CCSS 7.NS.2d is asking students to convert a rational number to a decimal using long division. It also ask students to know that the decimal terminates in 0’s or eventually repeats. It may be a good idea to have a rational number lesson before doing long division. It isn’t until 8th grade that we now discuss irrational numbers, however it is important for students to understand the meaning of rational numbers. Please see my lesson title Am I Rational and Why?

Resources (1)

Resources

Bell Ringer: If you opted to use the lesson entitled A Concrete Look at Long Division, use the exit tickets from that lesson as your bell ringer. Take out the names of the examples you will use and choose three exit tickets to go over as a group. Choose a low, medium, and high level student sample. Use your document camera to share the work, or make student copies for each student. Discuss what the student knows, and why and what the student needs to know and how you all know. The discussion should be led by your guided questions, however, the students are the ones who should engage in the dialogue with one another. This lends itself to MP3.

If you are not opting to do the entire lesson entitled A Concrete Look at Long Division, use the YouTube video from the lesson and show it to your students. Discuss the fair share method, and model with your students two or three examples.

Use three examples to go through the algorithm with your students. Students should write example in their notebooks as you go through each step. Use a low level equation with a one digit dividend and one digit divisor. This will allow students to clearly see each step. Then move to two digits, and three digits.

Resources

In class assignment/Homework: Student will complete each equation using the algorithm. Use the resource available for the equations, or create your own equations. Students will have time to get started on the equations, and should complete the assignment for homework.

Day 3 of the Long Division section will have students use the algorithm to convert rational numbers to decimals.